Over the last ten years, I have travelled a lot in Germany. Dozens of blog posts take you to all sorts of corners around the country, some of them really very beautiful (I’ll just say UNESCO World Heritage and #52UnescoWorldHeritageSites ..!). As an Austrian, I can now speak very positively of our neighbouring country, precisely because, unlike many of my fellow citizens, I travel beyond the usual German clichés (at least most of the time 😉 ).
But the fact that there is a so-called gemstone country to discover in Germany was also new to me. I was immediately curious. And asked my dear German friends: Where exactly is this precious gemstone country?
To give you a rough idea, I can now say that its capital city, Idar-Oberstein, is nestled between Mainz and Trier in south-west Germany, close to the district town of Birkenfeld. It is also not far to Luxembourg or the Saarland. I joined my friend Janett on a road trip from Cologne-Düsseldorf; from there, it took us another two hours to reach the German Gemstone Route (tip: don’t miss a stop by the Mosel Valley Bridge when travelling across the Rhine river!)
View of the famous rock church in Idar-Oberstein. If you’re a fan of precious stones, you’re bound to pass by here.
Visiting Idar-Oberstein: Dinner at the Alte Kanzlei restaurant and the town’s famous rock church.
Janett and I start our gemstone experience with a cosy dinner in the Alte Kanzlei restaurant right on Idar-Oberstein’s market square. The restaurant attracts guests above all as a “spit roast house”, with the “thick dumplings”, a typical regional Hunsrück speciality, also known far across its borders. We tried both and can only recommend the Alte Kanzlei for the quality of its food.
Tip: If you want to get rid of the calories from the restaurant, take the more than 200 steps to the rock church in Idar-Oberstein, but please be aware that you may only visit inside the church with a guided tour. The medieval church, visible from afar, was built just over 500 years ago (how did they manage that back then?) and its location in the middle of the towering rock is fascinating.
Typical, seasonal meat dumplings served as a culinary welcome at the Alte Kanzlei in Idar-Oberstein.
Staying in Idar-Oberstein: Boutique Hotel Villa Horbach, “powered by” Tessa & John!
Tessa and John have managed to restore an old building gem into a boutique hotel and (soon) restaurant, running it with all their heart and soul. The resourceful property developer John has transformed the more than 100-year-old villa into an enchanting boutique hotel; in a next step, both he and his wife Tessa would like to open a restaurant in addition to serving breakfast and running a small bar business.
“I actually taught chemistry at secondary school”, smiles Tessa, “but now, I love the switch of looking after our guests with all my heart.” On Sunday mornings, when the rest of the staff are off, it’s the two of them that can be found in the breakfast kitchen, giving tours of the hotel and reception.
“Just call me John”, laughs John. Not Mr Horbach. But: Villa Horbach. A unique overnight experience in the centre of Idar-Oberstein in this particular gemstone country within Germany.
Check this out.
Villa Horbach, which has been restored with great attention to detail, is located between the two districts of Idar and Oberstein.
After our arrival, Janett and I have a cosy chat with John at the bar of Villa Horbach …
… I enjoy the spacious room landscape with free-standing bathtub …
… on the cellar of the building, precious stones were once traded and worked with; now a modern restaurant has been created there.
Thank you very much, dear Tessa, dear John, for the delicious dinner, the good wine and the even better conversations with you …
… we would come back to see you any time!
Travelling around the gemstone country: Nature and culture-based travel tips in the Hunsrück National Park region.
In addition to all the gemstones and creative ways to discover the gemstone country, the region around Idar-Oberstein is also known as a hiking region. The background to this is the magnificent natural landscape of the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park. We get a taste of its beauty during an excursion to the Wildenburg castle and tower.
Wildenburg (castle and tower).
After a short drive along the German Gemstone Route from Idar-Oberstein, we are already standing in front of the imposing Wildenburg tower. After just a few steps, the tower opens up a fascinating 360° panoramic view of the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park, which covers more than 100 square kilometres. The Saar-Hunsrück-Steig hiking trail leads from here, passing by a little plateau called the “witches’ dance floor” offering beautiful views of the surroundings.
Wildenburg castle and tower …
… it’s only a few steps to reach the top, promise …
… the view across the surrounding nature is well worth the short climb.
Janett and I during our explorations of the German gemstone country.
Copper hiking trail Fischbach (Fischbacher Kupferspuren).
The so-called Fischbacher Kupferspuren loop trail offers us a somewhat longer hike. The area offers several of these trails, easy circular ones that are also suitable for children, for example.
Our copper hiking trail takes us around four kilometres from the Fischbach copper mine along several information boards that tell us lots of interesting facts about copper mining in the region.
Off we go on our copper loop trail …
… enjoying the added learning from the information boards about former copper mines in the area …
… after a short ascent, we’ve made it for most of the more demanding part of the loop trail. Well done Janett!
Camping Harfenmühle (and restaurant).
Not far from Idar-Oberstein or Herrstein, which I’ll tell you more about in a moment, you can stop at a nice restaurant at the Harfenmühle camping ground. If you fancy warm, regional dishes as well as a taste of the surrounding natural landscape along the Fischbach stream, you are in the right spot here.
Welcome to the Harfenmühle campsite! Just a few steps away from here is one of the last gemstone mills run by water power – more about this, as well as the operator Ernstotto Biel, in my next blog post.
Enjoy your meal at Camping Harfenmühle!
Foodies among you: Here’s a picture of regional delicacies including Kirner Naturradler, as well as Schneeweißchen as a non-alcoholic sparkling wine alternative. Cheers, my dears!
Not to be missed: Time travel through the pretty half-timbered town of Herrstein.
In Herrstein, time seems to have stood still in a peaceful way. At the same time, things have certainly gone round here, as the mighty fortifications alone bear witness. In all the (often male-dominated) historical narrative, one name in particular has stuck in my mind: Loretta von Sponheim. As a courageous young countess, widowed and with three sons by her side, she assumed regency until her eldest son came of age and successfully (because peacefully) defied powerful opponents such as the Archbishop of Trier.
These and many more stories come to life in Herrstein – thank you very much for taking us on such an exciting historical city tour, dear Mathias!
View of Herrstein: typical town view with the famous Herrstein clock tower.
A lot of half-timbered romance awaits visitors in Herrstein – this was not always the case and was only gradually rediscovered and celebrated.
Our guide Mathias takes us from the castle church via the battlements to the Schinderhannes Tower, a name which is often romanticised as the former Robin Hood of Herrstein. However, Mathias tells us a completely different story … Many thanks, dear Mathias, for the impressive guided tour around Herrstein and its eventful past.
Next time, I’ll tell you even more interesting travel stories from the gemstone country, especially about #CreativeTravel (including some ring forging!), visiting several artists and gemstone cutters, as well as the best tips for cultural experiences in and around Idar-Oberstein. Stay tuned!
Disclaimer: We have been invited on this trip to the German gemstone country and Idar-Oberstein. All opinions are my own.